Ugh....

It hurts....

Not this again....

How many times does this make?

Ah..... Does it matters?

Where am I?

What is this place?

Is dark but just like every other area, cyan vines, the sole lights and salvation in the darkness.

Pretty. But where do those things grow from?

Why do I have my face planted on the ground?

How did I get here?

Oh.

Right....

I remember now.

That happened.

Caught in my fears and forgot what I kept reminding myself of.

After that, I fell into a rushing current. Carried to the further and deeper unknown.

Now, I am washed ashore.

Deeper and deeper. Just great.

Now, where am I?

This soil.... Is this sand? There are pebbles. Rocks and stones. Is the ground made of such? Seems like it.

Summoning my strength, I push myself up.

Ugh!

Damn it. Not possible. My whole body stings whenever I exhibit even a bit of strength. In my vision that has yet to clear, I am able to see the scars and wounds on my right arm and hand.

Did Picasso doodled on my arm when I was unconscious?

Oh yeah, my blood veins burst back then. So it's not just my right arm, my whole body is probably in the same sorry and miserable state.

Fuck....

Why did I forget such important lesson?

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I thought I have known better then. I learned my lesson when I tempered with the miniature Crystal Pillar, or at least I thought I did.

Ha.... I clearly didn't. Nothing I should be really surprise now.... Ah.... even I, myself, has given up on me. Not a good sign for my mental health....

So, where am I? Am I now further away from the exit?

....

Ha.... Why wouldn't I be? I just went down further and deeper into the dungeon. No way the exit is on the bottom floors. Unless, there's a teleportation circle at the bottom.

Hm. Such absurd wishful thinking. It will too much, even for a Deus Ex Machina. Am I getting delusional? Pretty sure I am. If not, I will be soon. It would be weirder if I'm not delusional or going to be.

"There, there. Something's there. Let's check it out."

I heard some odd language. I understand the odd language. How odd.

"Is that a human?"

"Is it alive?"

"Is it female?"

"Quiet. We no want it to know we here."

Too late, idiots. I already know you're here.

Thought I may not have enough strength to move my whole body, I do have strength to lift my head from the soil.

Goblins?

Four to five footers. Pale tea green skin. Eyes similar to those afflicted by rabies. Long and pointed ears and nose. Yellow and black rotten teeth. Thin bodies, arms, hands, and fingers. Nails are rough, long, sharp. Absolutely abhorring little creatures. Is a loincloth a fad for your kind, you little shits?

Orcbl*g, will you be appearing any moment now?

Ha. Who am I kidding? Nothing like that will happen.

Ah. They saw me looking at them. Shit.

They spare not a moment and run at me like children discovering their favorite toys at a store and I think I'm only putting it mildly.

And they stop.

"Where? Where human go?"

"Don't know. Don't know."

"Ngeh? The human, right there just now?"

"Yes. Yes. Disappeared. Like thin air."

What's with your language? Is all over all the place.

Too bad. You won't find me. Not with [Presence Detachment] activated. Now, let's pray I don't run out of Mana anytime soon.

"What now? What now?

"What What? Human gone."

"Human gone. What next?"

"Neh neh. Invisible. Magic. Magic."

The four goblins holding short swords with blunt blade all look at each other. They look like they have reached a consensus or something.

"Possible. Possible"

One of the goblins seems to have agree verbally with the last goblin's statement. That's a shocker. They are capable of such level of thinking.

"Wait. Sounds. Incoming."

"Eek!"

"Ngeh!"

"There! There!"

Hmm....? What's coming? The waters, they're rippling? Something is coming towards here.

The moment I asked that in my heart, my instincts went off like an alarm on Monday morning. I activate [Mana Perception], following the goblins' line of sight.

Oh.... my.... god....

Although it has yet to show itself, I see the flow of Mana that draws the outline of the monsters that is lurking underwater. It is swimming towards here like a champ.

Holy Sweet Mary Mother Jesus.

That's a huge-ass crocodile.

I have always find them fascinating and at the same time, they are also one of my biggest fear. Now, I have one coming towards my way at an incredible speed.

Mr.[Presence Detachment]-san, work your hardest please.

God damn it, teeth. Stop chattering so much.

The goblins knew something is coming but they don't know what. When they did find out, it is already too late for them. The giant crocodile didn't crawled out slowly from the water, it leaped out instead.

Its jaws clamping down on to three goblins, the last goblin wasn't eaten but it lost its left arm.

The goblin shrieked in pain as it falls down to the ground. Backing away from the reptile in a fumble. Heh. I didn't know you can even slip from crawling backwards but this goblin proves me wrong.

By the way, the giant crocodile is just a feet beside me. I can feel and see its belly expand and contract. I can see the absurd thickness of its hide. I don't think any of my abilities can hurt it.

The last goblin ran off into the distance, into the darkness. The giant crocodile chases after it. Oh damn, the crocodile is crawling as fast as the goblin ran.

Me? I'm still frozen from the aftermath. Everything happened so quickly, it's all a bit of a blur but it is without a doubt that a humongous crocodile just passed by me.

Okay. Staying in the water or near the water is a no no. I have to quickly leave this place.

Ugh!

Shit. No good. I can't move. My wounds are too severe. Shit.

Hmm.... If my memory serves me well, this is the first I have waken up with my wounds still present. I did recovered a bit but not fully. Normally, I would have waken up with my wounds all patched up and gone.

Huh? Normally?

Ah. I have accepted my bizarre recovery ability as the norm. What am I becoming?

That's right. I can ask my status card.

Hmm?

....

I find myself looking at a spider web, the pattern which the status card cracked into.

Can my luck get any worse....

Great. Now how do I know what is what with me?

I flip myself to have my back on the ground. I look to the ceiling. Dark as usual. Now this is the usual sight I wake up to.

How did I recovered all those previous times? Is it an arbitrary function or do certain conditions have to be met? I doubt it's the former and I hope it's not cause that will suck, big time.

Now, think. Be useful for once, brain. Why did I only begin recovering when sleeping? Obvious reasons? Still and calm?

That does seems likely to be the condition or trigger. So, perhaps meditate can help?

I forced myself to crawl towards to a nearest rock pillar, going against all my nerves screaming.

There, I lay myself against the pillar.

My breathing has gotten ragged and heavy just from that. Understandable. And nerves, please be quiet.

Now, breath in. Breath out. Be still. Take deep breaths. Slowly. Breath in. Breath out. Happy thoughts, think of them.

Happy thoughts.

Hmm?

Happy thoughts?

I....

I don't remember them.

Birthday parties? Going out with friends? First crush? Winning competitions? Getting a good loot in games? Long awaited movies, games, novels coming out?

I remember them all but--

-- not the details. I just know I have those but I can't remember what is it or what is it like.

Why? Why can't I remember?"

"Aaaah!" I screamed and it bounced between the walls, ground, and ceiling. I raised my voice because of the sting on the back of my neck. Why is it doing this? The back of my neck always hurts whenever I tried to remember something or somewhere along that line.

Then, I receive a loud growl in return for the echo. It came from where the darkness where the goblin and the giant crocodile disappeared into.

Please don't tell me I have attracted its attention. Please don't.

Great. Now I can't keep calm. Not when I know that I might have attracted a big-ass predator to me. I can't recover like this. I can't even fight back. Using my magic incurs the pain and not to mention, I may have exhausted almost all my Mana in one go when my blood veins popped and destroyed the ground.

On the bright side, I can still use [Presence Detachment]. Maybe I do still have some amount left.

Ah? Huh. Shit.

I just felt my [Presence Detachment] wore off. Look at what you have done, my big mouth in my mind.

Maybe I can absorb Mana from something? But what?

My eyes which were moving around, looking for any possible battery, stopped at a cyan vine. It had grown out of the grown just beside me. Can I drain that?

Like it's only natural, my hands begin to reach out. Then, I see the wounds covering my arm. I freeze and retract my arm.

No. I do not know what will happen if I just randomly absorb Mana once again.

The growl from before got louder and I hear footsteps stomping closer. It is coming here. Since it's not rushing over here, I guess it just came to return to its habitat? That's not the problem here.

Shit. No time to think. If it comes back here, I can't put another [Presence Detachment] to hide me, I'll be its next snack. This is do or die. I can't hesitate any longer.

Alright, here goes nothing. Please don't go south.

Nerves steeled. Resolve hardened. Will strengthened. Nerves stee -- Wait, I said that already.

Here goes.

Oh? This is....

This is actually not bad. I can feel my Mana getting replenish. I expected pain but this is quite the opposite. It's actually quite relaxing, smoothing. Hah........ This feels good. Is like all burdens have been lifted.

As I was thinking those things, I have absorbed the light but--

-- I'm not stopping. I just keep absorbing. It's never ending. Does such a tiny vine have so much Mana? Is it going to be emptied any moment soon?

And as usual, like always, things look up--

-- I'm handed lemons and life kicked me in the balls.

Every other cyan vines in the area starts to flicker.

Oh....shit.... Please don't let it be anything too bad.

The whole scene resembles a horror movie scene when lights start flickering.

"What the hell?" I muttered.

The room then begin to shake. Storm of stomps approaching this way.

It is the giant crocodile. It's coming

I cast [Presence Detachment]. Oh jolly, I have recovered enough Mana. Though it isn't full yet.

The giant crocodile emerges from the shadow. It looks furious, like something hooked on its nerve.

....

No. That's not it. It's not furious. It's scared. It went straight past me and dove right back into the water. It swims away without looking back, away from this place where the cyan vines are still flickering.

Then, it manifested. The space distorted and closed in, when is stetches back out, something is formed.

I can only stare at that.... entity.

A humanoid being, glowing faint cyan like the vines. Its body, its empty, hollow, see through, transparent. It looks like a ghost.

Is is actually a ghost? A phantom or apparition, maybe?

It's looking around. Looking for something, for someone.

For someone?

Me?

I spent the whole time leaning and cowering beside the rock pillar until the phantom-like being went away. By went away, it actually just faded into nothing. And every cyan vines in the room went back to normal.

I didn't even realize I have been holding my breath.

When I released the breath I have been holding, I puked as well. I finally puked for the first time after so many strange and mortifying encounters.

Why did such a thing appeared so suddenly? It even scared such a big predator back to its hidey-hole. What is that thing?

Is it because of me? Did absorbing Mana from the cyan vines trigger its appearance? That does seem to be the most plausible explanation.

Mental note to my forgetful brain, everything here is hostile and unexpected. Caution be advised to the maximum. That is all.

I'm still covered in wounds but it no longer hurts. In fact, my wounds have healed a little. Did absorbing Mana from the vines healed it to some degree? Do the vines have such properties?

[Spirit Magic: Lv. 1 - Acquired]

Huh? What? Spirit Magic? A new Arcane Art?

[Spirit Magic: Light Drop - Acquired]

A portable light source. A torch?

Eh? It's just a ball of light, floating in mid air at eye level. The light is cyan in color.

Ah.... I see.

So the cyan vines are something special. But special it maybe, I don't think I'll be touching another cyan vine again cause that thing just now is just uneasy to look at. Unlike the pale monsters, the demon ape, the centipedes, the most they do is just incurring a grimace on my face but this phantom being, I felt like I could go straight entirely insane just from looking at it.

Let's forget about that. Yeah. Forget about that.

I can't forget about it. Shit. Every time I looked at the ball of light floating in front of me, I'm reminded of it.

Yes, the ball of light is [Light Drop].

I never intend to use it again but this tunnel I'm currently in, is absent of the cyan vines or any light. So, I have no choice but to use [Light Drop]. [Mana Perception] wasn't able to help. There are no ore veins, Mana veins, nor any magic plants in the tunnel.

I found this tunnel purely by accident.

Before that, I encountered lots of insect monsters and all are hostiles. While dispatching those insects, I discovered I have learned a new ability, [Abyssal Javelin]. I must have acquired it after that incident and while drifting in the rushing waters. This new skill basically shoots out javelins made of purplish black energy. I can make more of them and make it bigger at the expense of higher Mana consumption. Logical.

With this, I concluded that the purplish black energy is Abyss Magic's energy. Not that I have only realized it now but only now, I can absolutely declare it so.

After the insects, I noticed a large boulder leaning against a wall. The boulder looked so out of place and it would only fool an idiot. I shove it aside and found this tunnel. And that's how I found it. Nothing too exciting.

The exciting part is how I went wild with my newfound ability earlier. Maybe not wild, it's more like I have my restrains off. I didn't care if I used too much Mana or I keep missing my shots, I'm just attacking and assaulting without any prior thoughts. I think I was laughing and smiling too but that might be just my imagination.

I even came across breeding grounds of some monsters. I have not seen one of those before and this is the first time I came across a breeding ground. What did I do with it? To quote a big black man who got raped by a guy in a basement, "I went medieval on them".

There was even monsters fighting other monsters but I ignored all of them. This floor seems to have a lot more monsters than the previous floors. Sneaking past them without [Presence Detachment] was not an easy task. My heart almost burst out when I kicked a pebble in my way on accident. Thank god, nothing reacted to it.

Just from reminiscing as I walk in the tunnel, my breathing has become distorted. This is seriously not good.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks and [Light Drop] went out. Darkness engulfs me.

Why did I stop? Why did [Light Drop] went out?

Because I recall that incident. That mortifying experience.

I drop to my knees, looking at my hands that still hadn't stop trembling. Ha.... At least the nails are back to normal. They weren't claws anymore. Though, that ain't enough even for a consolation.

No, not the ghost one.

The one where I absorbed all of the red Spriggan's Mana. I can still vividly remember the sight and feeling of when the blood veins all across my body exploded.

Fear, anxiety, horror, shock, agitation, dread, distress, all those negative emotion instantly overwhelmed me at that time. To add fuel to the wildly burning flames, I fell through the ground. I honestly thought I would be dead. I even prepared for it.

Was it relieve or disappointment I felt when I hit the water? I can't remember.

And then, there was that ghost. The appearance of that ghost didn't help.

I wonder -- how long will the fear last this time before it subsides?

So far, this has been the longest. Am I actually and finally going crazy?

Maybe this explains my unrestrained actions back there.

And then, there were the adventurers. So foolish of me at that time. Why didn't I see the old man for what he is?

That fucking old man, he betrayed me and abandoned his allies. Alexander and Cilia, they died trying to protect me. Why did they do that?

Was it my fault? Do I have a hand in this? I didn't told them I could fight, after all. That's why they risked their lives for me. Why didn't I tell them? Was I afraid to be look at as a monster? Monsters repel me. Was it because I'm afraid they would reject me?

What if I had told them about myself? About my capabilities? Would things be different then?

I have killed a lot but never humans. Plus, it was a whole new experience witnessing the death of a human, a brutal and messy one at that. Are my hands trembling because of that too?

No. I can't stay here and wept forever. I have to keep going. Keep going.

But where am I going? How do I know I'm even going the right way? What have I been doing all this time? I don't have a map. I don't have directions. I was just going where my feet takes me and hoped for the best.

No. It doesn't matter. Just keep going. Just keep moving forward.

Keep moving forward.

And so I did. I just keep moving forward along the tunnel. Straight into God knows what.

Well, I dun goofed.

I have stumbled into a goblin's nest while being absentminded. I say goblin's nest but there are orcs in the mix.

All the goblins which numbered to about fifty all stop and turn towards my way.

Some were mock-battling.

Some were tempering their weapons.

Some were drinking

Some were eating

Some were just idling around.

Some were having their way with some human women despite the desperate pleads and screams. The women have been strip all the way down to their bare. Judging from their condition, I say they have been in that situation for a quite a long time now. How unsightly.

At the other end of this room, there are seven individuals tied and bound to a pole. Four of them are goblins. One is an orc, I presume. Two of them are humans, naked women. All the seven individuals back there seem to have being used for sports.

So unsightly. And I mean everyone in this room, monsters and humans.

One of the orcs who seems to be the leader, stood up.

"Get that human!"

It barked an order.

And all the goblins and orcs dropped what they were doing and charge towards me.

I caught a glance at the male human corpses, piled in one of the corners of the room. The goblins and orcs won't spare me like they did with the women. They will just kill me and strip me of my gears like it did to the males.

I will probably die from this but before death, there will probably be a lot of pain.

I dislike pain.

I don't want to feel anymore pain.

No more.

No more.

If I stay, there will be a lot of pain. No, I don't want that.

What about the humans? Screw them. I don't even know them. They might not even be decent peoples.

I should just run.

Yes, run.

....

....

Should I?

Will this really be able to resolve my fears? My hands are still trembling and it had been for quite a long time now. The longest, in fact.

If I ran away, will my fears ever be gone? Will I be forever afraid of suffering and pain?

I somehow knew, if I ran away, right here and now, the fear will be forever etched in my heart.

Is that such a bad thing?

As I am being drowned in my own thoughts in such a dim situation, a goblin had ran up to me. It brings its knife down at me.

I only took notice at the last minute. On an impulse maybe? I used my left palm in defense against the knife which is aimed for my face. The knife of the blade went through my palm, splattering blood on my already bloodied face.

Huh?

It hurts. It hurts but not as much as I expected.

The goblin is taken aback by my lack of reaction.

Blankly, I stare at the knife which had just went through my palm. Without a care, I pull out the knife and simply tosses it aside. I observe my wound, the hole in my palm.

Ugh, gruesome. I feel my insides are curling up.

Still, why doesn't it hurts that much like I expect it to? Am I actually going numb against pain? Does such wound has become nothing to me?

The goblin then regain its grip on reality, it attacks once again. I send my feet to its face. The crack sounds of skull fracturing echoes nicely into the ears of every one in the room. The goblin even went flying into the crowd.

I hear gasps from the goblins and orcs.

When did I gain such physical strength? Wait. Perhaps I always have been this strong? Otherwise, how was I able to bisect the monsters so easily all this time? [Abyssal Edge] is strangely sharp though. Perhaps I gained my strength from consuming monster flesh? Going with a template, the latter reason might be more plausible.

"What are you fools waiting for? Tear that god's favorite into pieces." The orc roared at the goblins and orc who are hesitating to approach me now.

God's favorite? Whatever that means, I'm sure you are mistaken.

I'm not anyone's favorite. Who would put their favorite in such a place and situation?

Hmm.... I ponder and I look back, at the tunnel when I came through. I then look back at the goblins, the orcs, the women.

Then, I look at my hands. Still covered in wounds but --

-- my nails....

My nails have grown. Taking the long, sharp, crooked shape once again.

What am I?

I close my eyes and sigh. When I open them, I conjure two [Abyssal Edge], one on each hand.

Maybe I should stop thinking like a human now. I am obviously a human, no longer. Perhaps I'm not even a human from the start but that doesn't matter now.

Humans don't defy death in succession. They don't greet death but turn away from its door. Humans aren't capable of such suffering and pain. They don't retain their mind and sanity after all that. They don't brush such things off as another hard day's work. Humans don't accumulate pain like a walk in park. Humans don't do all that.

But monsters do.

I don't know how I know their language but I just know. And with their language, I challenge them with a roar. "COME AT ME! YOU DAMN UGLY FUCKS!" I shouted. I could do without the shout but maybe I was just nervous in communicating with the bunch of ugly fucks.

They all froze, even the human women.

The stagnant situation lasted for a little bit over three seconds.

And then, the goblins and orcs return to themselves and rush at me.

I swing the lengthened [Abyssal Edge] in my right hand, decapitating five ugly fucks in a single momentum.

I thrust the lengthened [Abyssal Edge] in my left hand, skewering another five ugly fucks in a single attack.

My instincts whispers to me as I battle against the odd numbers of goblins and orcs. I think it's my instincts. I wasn't paying attention from fighting against the goblins and orcs. Like some guardian angel, it fills me with knowledge of my potentials. I suddenly and somehow know what tricks I have up my sleeve.

My sleeves aren't that long though but that's not what the point here.

First up, I invoke [Clarity Field]. With this I'm able to sense every presence that enters the field, I can't count the amount of dust being kicked up but I can count the number of stones, splinters, bits of fleshes in the field.

For protection, [Magic Enhancement] is used. An evolution of [Mana Skin]. It does what [Mana Skin] does but only better. Honestly, I forgot about [Mana Skin]. It didn't help much except that one punch from the bulky ape. [Magic Enhancement] is weak to direct punctures but works quite well against blunt forces. It is enough to deflect the blows from the goblins' and orcs' dull edges.

I use [Abyssal Javelin] on the bow users. I missed more than I shot out but it hit everyone, in the end, so that's that.

When both of my hands are occupied and a goblin grappled me from behind, I use [Overload]. It pours a huge amount of Mana into the target that I have physical contact with.

I came to understand that transmitting Mana is a delicate procedure. One needs to take into account of no leaks happening, the correct way to pour, and where to pour to. [Overload] is basically [Mana Transmission] but without regarding the safety procedures. Granted, it consumes a huge amount of Mana but the results are horrendously gruesome but effective and awesome. Don't believe me? Try asking the goblin who is in tiny pieces.

When I'm cornered, I used [Spatial Leap]. The downside, the magic buffs I have cast disappear and I'm left in a disarray state. Ah, I forgot about this. Shit.

I repel the goblins and orcs that got too close with [Energy Sphere], [Abyssal Javelin] and [Force Push], a spatial magic that resembles the technique of certain monk warriors from a galaxy far far away, but the worse thing happened. I ran out of Mana.

When the Orc Leader notices this, it seems to think it has won and laughs. Well, it stopped laughing when I clawed open an orc's torso, guts spilled out, showering me in red color. Even the other goblins and orcs stop their hasty advances at such spectacle.

"I might not be a monster but I might be a relative, after all." I told them. I didn't shout this time.

I take this chance and observe my condition. As expected, wounds all over. Ah, it hurts. I'm covered in wounds again when the previous wounds aren't even healed.

I wasn't numb against the pain. It just simply doesn't bothers me anymore or at least not that much. I'm a little curious of the face I'm making right now. Too bad, no mirrors in sight.

I sigh.

"Not that it matters. Well, shall we continue?"

When the Orc Leader heard that, I could have swore that I saw and heard him gulped.

[Title: - Acquired]

Ain't that just right?